


Locked in Leather and Fairy Dust

by robogalaxy



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Beet | Bede-centric, Diary/Journal, Gen, Humor, Mild Angst, Mild Language, Multi Chapter, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Game, gets sorta free flowing at times?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23290519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robogalaxy/pseuds/robogalaxy
Summary: Scoffing at the idea initially, Bede realizes that perhaps marking his words down in pink ink in his spare time wasn't such an idiotic move after all.
Comments: 27
Kudos: 40





	1. The First Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit 5/8 : cut out a bit of an entry because it seemed too early for the character's introductions into the journal!

_** Monday.  ** _

_Dear Journal,_

_You were ordered from some speciality shop down in Hammerlocke. Aren't you excited? Truly, I'm gobsmacked. Honored to be writing in this. So excited that my entries won't be so long that it overwhelms either of us._

_Pens can't pick up sarcasm, now can they? I should've known. See, in the midst of my training as Ballonlea's new gym leader, ~~the old woman~~ Opal has suggested I take time in between training to "carefully and tenderly keep memories of the experience," as she wants me to remember my youth as fondly as she remembers hers. Sure, I'll do it, but it's not like I will enjoy it. I enjoy battling, I enjoy the space I get to train myself, I'm starting to enjoy Fairy types, I suppose...it's something I'll have to adjust to. Likewise, I'm adjusting to you, journal. You're not my friend. You're here for me, and I'm very good at utilizing what I need to in order to succeed. You're paper. I'm Bede, Ballonlea's newest shade of pink (if I may say, I'm mixed on that name. It reeks of_ _Opal's think pink attitude and yet has a ring to it that I can't deny.) You're not here for my emotions. You'll never be that close to me. Now....yes. I'll get back sooner or later. I'm dropping the pen for now. Lunch calls and I must admit. Clair, my dearest Hatterene (who you will never replace. A warning) is feisty if she is made to wait too long._

_ Bede _

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_Doesn't that have such a nicer ring to it than writing "dear journal" again? Making my presence known again is much more befitting of me than reintroducing myself. I know you were only received in a package, but your leather bound covers should already know me. The first dear journal of each day will only be a formality. I hope you get used to it, as it won't be changing any time soon. Now, what's happened in between now and then that's really worth documenting?_

_If anything, I suppose I could mention Mulberry, my dearest Sylveon, being an absolute pain to work with sometimes. I understand she's new and I'm just as new to handling Fairy types, but she's a bit of a prankster. I want her to listen to me, but she'll just flash her ribbon feelers in my face and smile about it like a lunatic. Funny to mess with me, is it? I suppose. She'll learn, I hope. She best, or I must give her time off the gym bench. I know she has what it takes (with me as her trainer? of course she has a fighting chance) but her attitude sours the progress we're trying to make right now._

_Again, I'm going to leave. Opal has come to ask me personally for tea. Maybe I'll write more later. I don't know yet; I'll give it some thought. Rest where you are, and don't get offended if I don't come back. You should know I'm busy with Mulberry._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_I recently came to a revelation while Opal was sitting with me with for our daily tea time. She was talking about some play she penned long ago (perhaps eons, but an umbrella would surely smack me if I made such a remark towards her) about some relationship that had to be hidden from the public. Unlike...some people's. Perhaps it would be better if theirs was hidden as well - less of a headache on my end and not having to see... them get so lovey. It's sickening, really. My revelation, my MAIN point, I suppose, is about love._

_I don't care much for it._

_For now, I rest my pen and head off to train. Miss Opal may even tell me about her old attempts at opera - excuse the groan that just left me._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal:_

_I ended up making the eons remark, and surprisingly, Opal laughed. Not before slamming the handle of the umbrella on my foot and forcing me to apologize, but all is fair in Fairy type scenarios. It's what she says, anyway. Training went well and I believe Dahlia, my dearest Mawile, is trying to move its way up in my battle roster. Going first must bother her - being first never bothers me. I wonder how I ended up being her trainer, then, if we are so different. I'll teach her, though, that being first is nothing to frown upon. You can only frown upon the feel of the bruise on my right foot. My stances, ruined._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_Good night._

_Bede_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bede. a journal. new gym leader antics. how can we not!!! i find bede easier to write through his own words rather than trying to write through descriptions...but it's a fun project to undertake and i'm excited about doing so! these will be a lot easier to write and much easier to update due to the formatting of the fic as a whole. hope it's fun! 
> 
> thank you so much for reading!! feel free to leave kudos, comments, and bookmarks!~ <3


	2. The First Tuesday

**Tuesday.**

_Dear Journal,_

_I don't want to write today. It's really as simple as that. I don't feel like writing and even wasting time to tell you I despise this activity at the moment is something angering me. Opal demands I write, however, and I don't want to be on the opposite end of her glare. She'll sic the Alcremie on me. Take care, and by that I mean don't miss me. This might be it for today. I sure hope it is._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_And I’ve brought a padlock. Call me anxious by whatever means you want, I’ve been called worse, but it occurred to me today that somebody could walk by and flip through these 3 full pages. Like I’d divulge the beginnings of my new journey to anyone who can do the menial task of picking up a book and flipping pages. Thus, a padlock. Now, what comes next is a code for it, but what to put there escapes me… writing it down here won’t help any, now will it? I better figure it out by tonight, as I think Annette is getting more nosy by the day. It’s something about the way she smirks when Opal gripes at me. I must make such a face and she’d die to know more. Well, Annette, maybe I do make a face. You as well. Don’t act innocent._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_Mail comes so slowly to Ballonlea and as I am expected to fetch it every afternoon at 12:30 pm, noon, sharp, it’s annoying. The Pelipper usually doesn’t show until 1:00 anyway, and standing outside of the town while Impidimps claw at my trainers and nip at the hairband tying my shirt up is not something I enjoy. They’re cute, I suppose, but they aren’t my speed. Maybe I’ll consider one when they stop trying to devour my clothes. Budget for these outfits is pretty spectacular if what Opal tells me isn’t some fabrication. I’ll wait a bit longer. If there’s nothing by 1:15, no choice but to head back and say nothing arrived for us. In the meantime, I suppose Jasper, my dearest Rapidash, wants fresh air - he’s always loved to make a mess of the grass whilst trying to make only the pink mushrooms glow. Endearing._

_Mail did show up. Nothing but a letter that came in from a correctional facility. There’s no name but it’s so glaringly obvious who it is. Throwing it away seems so tempting._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_I said I didn’t want to write much today. I don’t go back on my word._

_Bede_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHORT SHORT S H O R T chapter as i'm in the middle of brainstorming some MAJOR events for this fic!! you can see a hint of it in this one, can't you 👀 gives me more time to get better ideas and not feel like it's being rushed. plus, it's a journal and bede's not going to wax poetic all day, now is he?? 
> 
> thank you SO much for reading!


	3. The First Wednesday

**_Wednesday_.**

_ Dear Journal,  _

_ I'd love to say I'm free. After all, Wednesdays are the days Miss Opal goes easiest on me and I get some time to relax. Of course, as with my entire life for the past few months, it seems, I don't get to have that experience. No. Today Opal wants us to go out to run errands around the region. Yes, the region. Around the whole bloody region. Not just Ballonlea or Stow-on-Side for a few groceries, but almost everywhere for the "sake of getting out of the forest." To "live a little bit." To "take Galar by the reins and learn to live in it." It's probably code for window shopping and spending hours looking at antique brooches while standing in a cramped shop corner. I could ask to see if one of the other gym trainers will go with her. I can say I'm dying to work on Angeline's, my dear Gardevoir, presence on the field. Will it work? Given it is Wednesday, I can hope for leniency. Going for an answer now.  _

_ She said no, I had to go with her, and to bring the journal so I can "cherish the memories of getting to tour the town with the Wizard of Ballonlea herself." How intriguing. How ever shall I describe the smell of shoddy bookshops to you? Lenience is far too hard to get from Opal, so I wonder why I even bother asking. Maybe someday. She cannot stop me from bringing along Clair, however. That's out of the question entirely.  _

_ Bede  _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ Flying Taxis are still a nuisance to my stomach, but the nausea has been replaced by instant boredom. Miss Opal decided that first we should go to Circhester to hang around the little shops that stock her favorite scarves and get in daily shipments of the light Polteageist-branded tea bags. Opal insists buying them in bulk at the shopping markets is wasteful and who knows what has happened to them in between. Getting them from smaller businesses apparently ensures their quality as well as making sure they steep better. I suppose if you've lived as long as Opal, you'd have time to study things that mean nothing in the long run. She got caught up in conversation and I may have wandered off to write this near the benches of the Hero's Bath. If she comes searching, she shouldn't have to look too far. Better than watching her model scarves for the women in there, amazed by her grace in her old age. Opal knows full and well she has grace, so why she's wasting time trying to show it off perplexes me. I might as well get back to the shop before I'm labelled missing and hunted for by the public. Ever popular boy I'm becoming. It should’ve always been this way. _

_ Bede  _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ Motostoke offered up almost nothing I hadn't seen before, but Opal dragged me into the stadium and had me sit in on a "brief" meeting with Kabu. He's so polite and so determined, and yet he's also at an age where important matters delve into matters of incessant talks of life and how it's treating them. Such strong trainers, focused and chosen by the League for their talents, and I get to see them babble away over embarrassing things that happened multiple years ago. I was tempted to walk out of this meeting, but Opal had a watchful eye this time around. Clair rattled in her Pokeball a bit. She must have felt my anxiety or sensed Opal's blank but authoritarian glare. I'll have to let her out sometime. Kabu seemed to want to know how I was adjusting to life as a Gym Leader protege and let something slip about how he might be retiring in the next few years. I wonder what kind of person Kabu would want to take under his wing - somebody who doesn’t tuck their shirt into their shorts, hopefully.  _

_ Miss Opal demands to take me out to lunch in Hulbury, saying she’s been craving seafood for as long as she can remember. It isn’t my favorite, but I’m hungry and not too picky. Not today, at least. Besides, I haven’t touched Hulbury in ages. I wonder how it’s doing down there, what with the strange sunlight and lack of dense leaves blocking the views.  _

_Bede_

* * *

_ I Return, Journal, _

_ Hulbury didn’t change a smidge. Ocean’s a bit bluer.  _

_ Bede _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ Heading to Turffield allowed me to walk with Clair while Opal walked beside me. Routes are so quiet in the midday, full of chirps from Rookidees and goodness, what I would not have done to make them stop. Walking was our only option, and Opal has told me numerous times that she used to stroll along the dirt roads with a “companion” or two. She loves to chat and even if I’ve heard some of her stories millions of times, I never once tell her to stop. She’s trying to teach me consideration for others, I think. I never lacked it, mind you, maybe it was dormant.  _

_ “Bede,” she asked me, “does it surprise you much? Being thrown into the spotlight so suddenly?”  _

_ “Of course it doesn’t. I’m prime Trainer material, and it’s utter nonsense that I wasn’t chosen to occupy such a position earlier in my life,” I said. Truthfully, those words didn’t leave my mouth and I instead nodded politely. Consideration at work, Miss Opal. I am officially a work in progress. _

_ “Because it shouldn’t,” she told me, “as smart as you may be and how sly you think you are with that grin of yours, it’s nothing that can hide potential. I’ve been at this for years and I surely know where to find it.”  _

_ Potential. Funny - so many people have said it to me and yet I never tire of hearing it. Potential. What a ring it has to it. I thanked her and Clair held onto my hand while we watched the tall grass sway.  _

_ Potential.  _

_ It stings as much as it enlightens me. No wonder Clair grasped so tight.  _

_ Milo was “as sweet as fairy floss as he always is, easy on the eyes and easier to speak to,” as Miss Opal puts it. He smiled and asked how I was.  _

_ “Fine, Milo, and you?”  _

_ I’m being considerate.  _

_ Bede  _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ Raihan remains to be one of the most foolish men I have ever met on the planet and I refuse to retract that statement.  _

~~_ Bede _ ~~

_ Scratch that. Miss Opal saw my brief entry and told me to write more - penmanship helps the toss of a Dynamaxed Pokeball, apparently. So, I continue.  _

_ Raihan remains to be one of the most foolish men I have ever met on the planet and I refuse to retract that statement. _

_ Bede _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ It was because he mistook me for Opal as he only saw us from behind in one of Hammerlocke’s more expensive shops. I’m more offended than I’d like to admit, but Opal got quite the kick out of it.  _

_~~Bede~~ _

_ Scolded again. If Miss Opal knew the amount of pain that I feel in my wrist, she’d probably let me off scot-free. That or she’d complain that her hands have been like that for decades and I’d best get used to it. My guess lies with the latter. Raihan was apprehensive towards me. I’ll say he was afraid, though - have you seen a fairy type against a dragon? _

_ Bede  _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ I now own a small brooch shaped like the bow of a Sylveon pinned to my uniform, instantly and forcibly gifted to me by Opal as soon as she spotted it in the windows of the jewelry shop.  _

_ “Look at how it brings out your eyes, Bede, dear! People wouldn’t be able to look you in your eyes for fear of losing to your team. Striking. Boy, you’re getting this and I require you to wear it.”  _

_ It’s pinned, Opal. I promise not to remove it. It took long enough for us to get it fastened this first time.  _

_ Bede  _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ We almost stopped in Wyndon for a quick dessert, but our minds changed after seeing the sunset. Might I say I’m glad? _

_ Bede  _

* * *

_ I Return, Journal,  _

_ Those weren’t errands, that was a leisure trip. A new form of leniency for her, maybe. She seemed less strict than usual. It is back to training intensity tomorrow, so I must take my rest. I’m close to sleeping so I can wake up able to consciously plan Angeline’s entrances. Good night.  _

_ Bede  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternate title: shopping and thinkin critically about yourself somewhat with grandma B)
> 
> also i've decided to give bede's pokemon nicknames!! he seems like the type to do so and i love coming up with fanciful names, so... yeah !! i've edited the past chapters to include the names, so new readers can learn them from the beginning, but i can put them here as well.
> 
> hatterene - Clair  
> mawile - Dahlia  
> rapidash - Jasper  
> sylveon - Mulberry  
> gardevoir - Angeline  
> plus more to come when i talk about his other, non fairy type pokemon!
> 
> thank you SO much for reading this chapter and i hope you're looking forward to more! ~ <3


	4. The First Thursday

**_Thursday._ **

_Dear Journal,_

_I got a paper cut trying to open that envelope from the facility today. I wasn’t trying to pry it open, mind you, I was in fact going as slow as possible to avoid seeming desperate. Why the Chairman would think to write to me as he sits in jail puzzles me. I’m shocked he remembered my name._

_It’s still sitting here, the letter. The envelope’s ripped open but I still don’t have the courage to read the actual note. You’re the only one that can know I’m afraid, journal. I refuse to be seen as a coward by anyone else._

_Though I suppose I’m not one if I plan on reading a letter that is practically guaranteed to make me feel sorry. I haven’t decided. I should hide it before Opal gets wind of it, shouldn’t I? I know she’d write back a few choice words._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_Is it odd to feel so ill over such a silly thing like a letter? I’ve complained of nausea and I’ve almost been given an off day (Opal says you can still sign league cards when you’re in bed, so I still have some duties to fulfill). So here I sit, tired and scared of a piece of paper. Pathetic, isn’t it? I’ll get to it eventually, whenever it is that I’m not feeling as if a single sip of water will rid me of all the contents of my stomach. I’ll sleep it off._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_My signature is almost perfected, I think. Given I just wasted thirty minutes cramping my left hand by signing four letters on every hundred or so cards, it’d probably be embarrassing to say that I think my signature needs more work. Opal thinks my penmanship looks “darling,” and thanked me for improving it by writing in your pages. I was good with signing my name before this as well, but what Opal says goes around here. Darling, though? I was hoping for something more... elegant. I suppose I’ll nod back off, just for a bit. Not because I want to, but because Opal said I was paler than usual and demanded I rest while she made me “medicinal” teas. I’m not expecting anything other than the usual cup of Roserade, but it does sound good right about now._

_I cannot sleep and instead find myself reminiscing over the past. I miss when Clair was smaller, still just a Hatenna. She’d laugh at me if I told her that, Clair would, but I don’t think she’d deny that she misses it too. Why this thought crosses my mind today I still don’t know the answer to, but it’s been in my mind and thus I feel as if writing about it will bring me… some sort of happiness on a sickly day like this._ _She couldn’t see, the little thing. She’d bump into my bed posts and I’d have to pick her up so she wouldn’t faint from the collisions. Clair was a curious girl, always trying to mess around with my things and liked to practice levitating my other Pokemon at the time. My dearest Gothorita (well, back then she was a Gothita), Edith, despised when Clair would lift her up into the air. Why Edith didn’t fight back confused me. They’re both Psychic, aren’t they? Strange._

_Clair would always like to sleep on the left side of the bed, refusing to let me take that spot for the night. She never knew any shield-like moves, so I presume her backlash was the result of her being much stronger than I thought at the time. I couldn’t imagine she would’ve been weak, though, as the ~~Chairman~~ person who gifted me Clair said she was fending for herself when he caught her. For herself...isn’t it a bit cruel to give some boy in an orphanage a Pokemon without a family either? Hopefully he explains it in his letter - if I find the gall to read it. _

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_Clair did hold my hand while I slept for a bit today, after all. Surprised she didn’t pummel me, what with all my anxieties. Emotional people don’t fare well against Hatterenes, but I know I’m different. I’m her trainer, after all. She has to listen to me. Granted, that doesn’t mean she always does, but she does for a majority of the time. That’s all that matters to me._

_If I’m going to find the bravery to read what’s in the envelope, I’d prefer to do it someplace quiet and serene, where nobody could find me. First of all, if I had to curse, Opal wouldn’t reprimand me for my dirty mouth (“It’s language fouler than a Garbodor, honestly, and you can never trust a person who uses obscenities as a crutch” is probably one of her favorite phrases, yet I swore I’ve heard her drop a “bloody hell” every once in a while). Second, if I were to...cry, nobody would hear it. Listen to me prattle on like that, getting sentimental and saying I’m going to CRY over a simple letter I probably won’t read all of anyway! Maybe you’re lucky for getting to see this side of me or you’re cursed, journal, and I definitely won’t decide for you. You can’t make up your own mind anyway._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_I did end up falling sick, if you care to know that. It wasn’t very pleasant. If there was any upside to it, I couldn't tell you. I must look pitiful. I assure you, I'm starting to feel it as well. Pitiful. Since when have I needed pity?_

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_His handwriting hasn’t changed much at all, has it? I can see my name at the top of the note, written in blocky letters. It’s so tempting to read it now. Everyone has gone to bed except me, so I suppose I have a chance to sneak out to Glimwood Tangle. Read this apologetic whatever-it-is under light of the mushrooms. I think I will._

_I should’ve brought a blanket, it’s terrifyingly cold out here. Clair’s come along. I can convince her to wrap me up. It’ll be like older days. How quaint...I rather like it._

_I'm closing the journal now. I’ll be back, hopefully, if I don’t find myself a wreck after I read this. Farewell - I hope I fare well too._

_Bede_

* * *

_I Return, Journal,_

_I got another paper cut trying to stuff the letter back in its envelope. It stings. It stings more than Dahlia’s Play Rough (and I still have the bruises on my shoulder if you’d like proof)._

_He asked how Clair was doing, how I was adjusting to being a Gym Leader, how my friends were doing (as if my ex-competitors could be my "friends"). He asked more than that, but I don’t have the time to relay it. I refuse to bawl my eyes out again._

_Bede_

_P.S. (my first one, isn’t that a sight to behold?)_

_I’m debating on whether or not I should send a letter back just to show him how lovely my signature’s gotten, but that’s a question for a day that I’m not...upset._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, i guess rose's letter was a doozy.  
> gah, thanks for being patient with me on this fic...i got carried away with one shots again as well as finals piling up on me.... ended up forgetting ab this one! i SUPER promise it will not happen again. sorry it's a bit short, haha.  
> needless to say, this fic is not gonna be SUPER linear, but there will be continuity of course. bede has a Lot Of Emotions and his new life will be full of them. :) maybe there isn't a real plot (yet) but -
> 
> thank you SO much for reading! feel free to keep up with the story and also to leave comments and bookmarks!! <3


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